Three Points to Real Madrid

For the second time in a little more than a week, The Home Depot Center crowd will be treated to a top tier International friendly as the LA Galaxy take on Spanish giants Real Madrid.

With a seemingly never-ending list of stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Iker Casillas, Xabi Alonso and Kaká to name a few, Los Blancos provide the ultimate challenge for Galaxy players to test their meddle. With the Galaxy expected to start their own stars in David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane, Thursday’s match promises to be an offensive track meet from the start. The spectacle on the field will be matched in the stands as a raucous crowd of over 30,000 is expected at The HDC for the friendly.

REGULATE MINUTES…

Midseason friendlies rarely come at a convenient time and with an important game against the Seattle Sounders just days away; the friendly against Real Madrid is no exception. However, in order, to minimize any fitness concerns, the Galaxy are expected to regulate the amount of minutes their players play on Thursday. During training on Wednesday, Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena told reporters that while all of his players available for selection could play on Thursday, it was unlikely that any member of his squad would play longer than 45 minutes. With a crucial league match in Seattle on Sunday, expect Arena to follow this plan and give his starters just a 45 minute run out, leaving them fresh for the weekend trip to the Pacific Northwest.

AND LEARN FROM THE BEST

The Galaxy’s youngest players have the opportunity to learn from the club’s trio of DPs on the training field every day, but on Thursday, they’ll face off against an entire field of stars. For the club’s youngsters, who have seen limited minutes this season, the chance to face Madrid’s cavalcade of superstars is a unique one. While international friendlies often come at a difficult time for the club’s starters, for the reserves, the match against Real Madrid offers a chance not only to play but to test themselves against some of the world’s finest players. Although the match provides a major challenge for these young players, a positive showing could provide a major confidence boost heading into the second half of the season.

Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider